SUNY Cobleskill receives two awards for videos

The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y.
·2 min read

Jun. 30—State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill announced two of its videos won awards.

Kyle Fossé, SUNY Cobleskill's video production lead, received two Excellence in Video Awards through the SUNY Council for University Advancement Awards, which recognizes the best produced videos across the SUNY system in the last year, a media release said.

"History Goes Home: Family Reunited with Portrait of World War II Solider" took top honors in the Over 5 Minute Video category, the release said. Fossé documents the significant role the college's Advancement Office played in reuniting a painting of an American military officer with the officer's living relatives. It was a lengthy process involving a lot of research and a little bit of luck. While some aspects of the painting's history may remain a mystery, Kate Weaver, the Advancement Office's administrative assistant, was able to track down the officer's family while forming new bonds among strangers, all united in finding the painting a home. The video can be seen on the college's homepage.

Fossé's second award came for his video on "K9 Reyes," which introduced the SUNY Cobleskill community to its newest officer at the time, a nine-month-old German Shepherd. The K9 officer was named for former University Police Officer Angel Reyes, who died in 2017 following his 30-year career in public service, 14 of those years being at SUNY Cobleskill, the release said. K9 Reyes has since completed training and received certification from the state Division of Criminal Justice Services in explosives detection alongside his partner, Officer Carlianne Ferretti.

In addition to the 2023 SUNY CUAD awards, Fossé was honored with a Judge's Citation in 2022 in the Category of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, for his video commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Day, the release said.

In his high school in Kenya, Fossé studied photography while creating music videos for friends and short films for class assignments. "It's just been a gradual progression ever since," he said in the release. "I studied film and theater in college and fell in love with the medium's ability to communicate the humanity of a story and to bridge cultural gaps through the power of visual storytelling."

Fossé's wife grew up near Cobleskill, and the family moved to the area from Arkansas following the birth of their first child, the release said. "My role at the college perfectly blends everything I'd learned before, along with new challenges," he said in the release. "I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, but it has been an incredible journey."

What he enjoys most, professionally, is that all days are unique; filming long-form videos, flying drones, creating motion graphics, and traveling the region interviewing alumni. "Much of the content I create feels like documentary filmmaking, which I love," he said in the release. "I'm always looking forward to my next project."